Sweet Dreams Become Reality
by Operetta
Summary: Madeleine absolutely adores that man in the mask, The Phantom. She's always dreamed of knowing him, but never figured she would ever have the chance to fall into the world of opera and love. Though, it seems she's done exactly that. Please, take the time to read my sequel to 'She's Returned' and find out how she deals in her unique situation.
1. What To Do?

Madeleine stood, eyes wide as she stared into the face of him. He stared back at her, a look of almost annoyance on his face. "You, my child, look rather...astonished."

His voice was like velvet, just as she had imagined it would be. She shook her head, realizing how rude she was being.

"My apologies Monsieur," she picked up on what little knowledge of the French language she knew, "I didn't mean to be rude." "Yes, well, if you don't mind, I will be leaving now." He stepped past her, and through the door. "No! Monsieur, please." She was surprised at her not wanting him to leave. He was the Phantom! She should be terrified!

"Mademoiselle, please, I am really in a hurry. I do not have time for stalky little ballet rats." Madeleine was taken back. "Ballet rat, monsieur?" "Yes. You are a ballerina, no?" He looked at her a bit confused now. She blushed, as she guessed he could probably see the pain on her features from his remark.

"No, monsieur. I kinda...just got here. Uhm...Guess you could say I'm just dropping by." She laughed a bit at her little private joke. The Phantom however, continued to look confused. "Well, my apologies mademoiselle, but I really must be going."

With a quick _swish_ of his cloak, he was gone. The door to the Box was shut in Maddy's face, and she was left, looking confused, and even more like a lost little ''ballet rat''. Immediately, she felt like she would cry. She sat down on one of the seats, and held her face in her hands.

"Well, this may be a dream...but it feels all too real." She sat in silence, when suddenly, she saw a figure appear on the stage. She looked down at the figure, realizing it was a ballerina, looking round frantically, making sure she was alone.

She glided back to the shadows, and returned, her grip round a young man's arm. "Come on Louis! I need to practice! I can't practice if I don't have music!" "Calm down Emilie! I'll play for you, just calm down!" He sat down heavily on the piano's edge, which had been left from the earlier performance, 'Music of the Night' by the Phantom and his lady themselves.

He began to play the melody that Emilie was to practice to, and she began prancing across the stage.

Madeleine watched her throughout the whole dance, and she marveled as she moved gracefully over the stage. She liked the dance so much, she wondered if she would ever be able to actually dance herself.

Though, Maddy knew better. She was a much better singer in her opinion. She tried not to laugh as she watched the two drag off again, together. She suddenly wondered what time it was, considering she had school tomorrow.

She left the Box and decided to go hunt for a wall clock. Finding one on not long after looking round, she was trying hard to believe that it was only 7:30pm. She stared in disbelief. "It was 1 when I fell asleep!" She sat down on the floor underneath the clock, breathing a bit faster. "Have I seriously fallen into reality? Or am I going crazy?" She wondered which seemed more practical. At the moment..she was leaning towards the crazy option. All she could do was wait until she woke up. Thats all she had to do!

So, with that, she left her spot for another on a plush bench close by, and laid down, closing her eyes. She drifted off to sleep quickly, not at all prepared for what she would wake up to the next morning.

...

When Madeleine woke, she was no where near where she had been the night before. She found herself laying in a bed of white silk, a few pillows propping her up carefully. She sat up, alarmed at the fact that someone had moved her in her sleep. Suddenly the door to the small room she was in, opened, and an elderly woman walked in. Maddy recognized her, and identafied her as Madame Giry, from her movies. She still couldn't believe she had somehow fallen into this world of music and pure genius.

"Bonjour mademoiselle. How are you feeling?" She reached over and placed the back of her hand over Maddy's forehead, checking her temperature. "Not sick, I assume. What might you be doing, sleeping in the middle of the ballroom of an opera house, may I ask? Decide a tour of the place was a bit boring I presume?" She smiled teasingly at Maddy, which made her blush. "No, not at all. Honestly I rather enjoyed walking through here last night. I was rather shocked, really. You see, I'm not really...supposed to be here. I was asleep one moment in my bed at my home, and the next I was falling into the world of the Phantom!"

Madame Giry gasped and tsked Madeleine quickly and quietly. "Do not speak of him, mademoiselle. He is very peculiar about who is to talk about him. Especially since he married his Lady."

Maddy blushed again, realizing her carelessness. "My apologies, Madame." Madame Giry only nodded and went back to fiddling with Maddy's sheets. "So tell me again, silly thing, why you were found sleeping in the ballroom and brought to me?" Madeleine sighed a bit frustrated. "Pardon my behavior Madame, for I've been through some heck of a night, but like I said, I don't know! I was sleeping one minute, and then falling the next!" Madame Giry looked at the girl as if she were a bit nutty. "My dear girl, I can assure you it was only a dream. Now please, lie down, rest your nerves. I will talk to the managers and see what to do with you later. As of now, just rest. Yes, just rest."

Just before Madame Giry left the door, she paused slightly, looking back into the room, as if she expected someone else to be there, hiding. Madeleine looked about, but saw no one. Madame Giry, however, only closed the door and left Maddy alone.

"Great, I'm stuck in a dream and everyone else seems to think I'm really here." She sighed, not wanting to let herself believe she had fallen into the reality of her dreams. She had dreamt singing at the very opera house before, but she never would have let herself consider the dream to come true. No, not at all. Things just weren't adding up. Either she was laying in her bed, sleeping and stuck in her dream, or she had literally fallen into a reality of that dream. One or the other was the only logical explanation she had, and even they sounded a bit ridiculous.

Maddy sighed again and lie back on her pillows again. What was she going to do? Live things out until she woke up? Or assume that she never would? It was so confusing, yet it seemed like it should be such a simple question to answer! What to do what to do? Giving up with another sigh, she closed her eyes and hummed softly, Music of the Night lyrics in her head. If she was going to play this thing our, she would need the energy to do it with. Which meant, she was going to need sleep.

Her humming got softer with each moment, and she eventually began drifting off to sleep.

A shadow lurked in her room, watching her carefully. His white mask glinted slightly in the shadows which he was surrounded in. "Well well well. Another stow away wanna be. Well, we'll just see how long she lasts." He chuckled quietly, and swayed off into more shadows just before madeleine stirred and rolled over in her sleep. He crept into the mirror of Christine's old dressing room, and headed deep into the opera house's underground passages.


	2. Coaching Assignments

When Maddy woke, she had slept for at least 3 more hours. She stretched in the bed and sat up on her elbows, taking in her surroundings and remembering her situation. "Still not awake yet..." She sighed and looked around. Getting up slowly, and walking to a window she peeked out over the ground and saw carriages bustle about, hurrying people to their destinations. She noticed that the room she was in was rather dark.

She tried the door, suddenly a little intimidated by the vibe she was getting. "Something seriously doesn't-" She was stopped though, for the door was locked, and she couldn't manage to open it. "Well, crap." She turned around scanning the shadows. "Hello? Is...someone there?" She was suddenly very afraid, and felt as if she was being watched.

A familiar smell filled her nose, and she recognized it from when she was in the Phantom's Box. She suddenly wondered, what he might be doing in her room, considering she was a "ballet rat" now.

She waited a few moments, but nothing happened. No one came to take her away like her imagination was telling her. She sighed, deciding she was letting her paranoia get to her. She finally just decided to sit down and calm herself. She took a few deep breaths, and felt a little better.

She looked at herself in a small mirror on the wall. "God! I look horrible!" She scanned the room and found a brush. Taking her hair out of the messy bun, she stroked the brush through the knots and tangles of her head. Once it was laid down in smooth black waves again, she set the brush down and wiped at her eyes.

They were stuck together with sleep, and she was ever so irritated at it. When her eyes were clean, and she felt she was awake enough to move without needing support, she tried the door again, finding it strangely unlocked. Sighing with relief she then decided to find Madame Giry, and see what her dream would eventually bring her to.

...

She found Madame Giry in the stage room, directing ballerinas and yelling at set shifters when they didn't do their job. She kept the performers in good line, and knew how to make them listen. With a careful tap on the shoulder, Madeleine gained Madame Giry's attention. "Ah, Mademoiselle. Good to see you awake and walking. I meant to retrieve you after rehearsal, but it appears I've already got you!"

Maddy nodded and smiled kindly. "Yes, you have." "Good good! Well then!" She clapped her hands and signaled for the ballerina's to gather their things and head off to their rooms. "You have a very important meeting, my dear. Tell me again, what is your name?" Maddy was ashamed of herself for not mentioning it before. "Madeleine, Madame. Madeleine Renee." "Ah, Good good. Well it's certainly nice to have you, Madeleine. Come with me." She took maddy by the wrist carefully and drug her about the opera house.

They soon came to a door, marked 'Managers'. She knocked once, and was greeted by Firmin himself! Maddy couldn't believe it! She and Madame Giry were ushered inside, and sat down in the leather chairs. "So, Madeleine is it? Well it's obvious you are here for work, so what are your professions?" Maddy was a bit surprised but answered honestly. "Well, Monsieur...I don't really have a profession, but I am quite good at singing. Or at least I've been told..." Monsieur Andre looked a bit skeptical. "Can you sing for us now?" Maddy was suddenly nervous, but she nodded, and wracked her knowledge for a song she knew well.

Deciding on 'Think of Me' considering she knew they had probably heard it before, she began to sing. "Think of me, think of me fondly, when we've said goodbye." She gave a quick glance to Firmin, who was smiling already. "Remember me once in a while, please promise me you'll try." Andre was smiling now, which gave Madeleine a boost of confidence, resulting in her singing louder. "Then you'll find that once again you long to take your heart back and be free. If you'll ever find a moment, spare a thought for me."

Andre signaled for her to stop, and so she closed her mouth. "Thats very nice Maddy, very nice." She smiled as he called her what Marcey normally did. Thats when she thought about what might be happening back home. She thought about how much she missed Marcey, and her bed and her comfy blankets. "Do you think you could audition to sing in one of our newer opera's?" The question snapped Madeleine back to reality at once.

"Wait...what? Audition? Already? Surely I'm not trained enough-" Firmin cut her off. "My dear child, with talent like that, there's no need for training! You will be put on stage at once!" Madame Giry clapped, but Maddy just stood there.

At once? The words echoed through her brain. Madeleine had terrible stage fright. If she tried singing in front of Marcey, let alone her mom or anyone else, she froze, and just simply couldn't do it.

"Sir, I have a terrible-" "Oh, non-sense! At once I say!" He was smiling and laughing, but Maddy was ghost white, and terribly frightened. She wasn't ready for such a big step! She'd never even sung at a school talent show, and now she had the chance to sing in an opera! It wouldn't be possible! She would totally humiliate herself!

"Monsieur, I assure you I am not at all-" With great annoyance, she was cut off again but this time, by Andre. "Firmin you must take into consideration that this child is not ready for such a big step. Tell me Maddy, do you have an experience with performing in front of a crowd?" Madeleine was relieved and once. "No Monsieur, that's what I've been trying to tell you. I have terrible stage fright, and can't even sing well in front of my own mother." "Ah, see Firmin? If you had put this child on stage, she would have been scared to death! The performance would have been a tragedy!"

Firmin nodded, and too his words into consideration. "Very well, very well. We'll just have to find you a tutor in that case. Exercise your voice, and boost your confidence." Maddy gulped but she some how felt she could do this. Her dreams had once been occupied by the fantasies of singing at an opera house. Having the chance to sing here, dream or not, was going to be the most amazing experience of her life time. Madame Giry smiled, and thanked the managers, as did Madeleine.

She was lead out then, and patted on the back as they headed to somewhere Maddy had no idea of. "Now, now. I have the perfect tutor for you my child. Though you must promise me to keep her a secret. For the opera folk know her well, but as like her husband, prefers not to be spoken of."

Maddy froze. "Who...exactly are we talking about Madame Giry?" She figured she already knew, but couldn't fathom the idea. "Why, Christine Daae herself!" Madame exclaimed in a hushed whisper. Maddy's eyes went wide with surprise and excitement. "You mean to tell me, that I'm going to be coached...by Christine Daae? The once and still famous singer of this very opera house?" Madame Giry hushed her at once. "Yes, yes my dear! You will become sensational!"

Madeleine had no idea what had happened next, for her mind was rushing, and her heart felt as if it would jump from her chest, and as her vision faded to a sudden blackness, she swooned and fell to the ground.


	3. Rules of the Lair

Madame Giry had carried the poor girl down through the cellars of the Opera House. She knew it wouldn't be much of an idea for her to wake up in such a place, but what else was she to do of her, on her first day of coaching? Expect Madame Christine to come find them in that small little dressing room which used to be hers? No madame!

She laid Maddy down carefully on Erik's bed, and sat with the couple momentarily.

"You must be careful of this one...she's very free spirited, and as much as I'd love to take her side she may be a bit too adventurous. She'll get on your nerves, I'm sure Erik," she smiled as he looked away annoyed at his own self, due to his temper, "but she'll grow on you. She's got wonderful talent, Christine!" She turned to her now. "You will enjoy coaching her, I'm sure. And should you need help, I'm entirely sure Erik would step in?" She gestured towards him, and he turned his head again suddenly.

"Excusez-moi?" He seemed a bit...unhappy about it. "No no no no no. I am NOT going through THAT again! I hardly had the patience to train my own wife!" Christine softly hit at Erik's arm, and he quieted immediately.

"I promise, Erik, she has much more patience, no offense Christine, and will be easy to negotiate with. Not as stubborn." Madame winked at Christine, and she blushed, but smiled.

"Now, I will wait with you until she wakes, to explain in case she can't recall our conversation. Until then, you two must freshen up! You've got a guest!"

...

When Maddy woke, she felt wired. She had had so much sleep in the past few days, she was feeling as if she had drank a whole pot of coffee herself. She rose immediately, taking in her surroundings. She was wrapped in a soft, velvety red sheet, which was uncomfortable with the dampness of her slight perspiration.

She looked about the room, noticing almost right then, where she was. "Oh...my...God." She swayed her legs over the side of the swan like bed, and stood, looking back at the room, as she back towards the door-like opening in the cave wall. "I cannot...believe this is seriously happening." Her heart was beating rapidly, and refused to calm in her chest.

Stumbling slightly, she almost slipped over the edge of the rock, tipping over a few candelabras along the way if she had. She turned, holding her breath, but gasped soon after, as she took in the Phantom's lair, and the fact that she was in it.

Her breath became short and raspy, her Phandom fantasies now falling into her dream like reality. She turned her head slightly, seeing past the candles and noticed Madame Giry. She rushed to her quickly, her mind flooded with questions.

"Giry! Giry, what am I doing here? Is it not a bad thing to be here? Why? Why?" She was about to totally lose it when Madame Giry covered her mouth and ordered her to breathe. "Now, now child, calm yourself! Turn around!" She did just that, and there, standing before her were the couple themselves, as one. She gasped, the raspy breathing returning to her lungs, as she stared into the eyes of the both of them.

Christine reached her hand out first, offering it to Maddy. "Bonjour, Madeleine. I've been awarded the great honor of coaching you into singing for work in the opera house, am I correct?" All Maddy could do was nod, and boy did it make her look silly. Christine gave her an off look, and nodded. "Very well then," she gestured to Erik, "I'm sure you've heard of my husband, The Phantom of the Opera?" "Oh yes, Madame. Many a times." Christine smiled, and Maddy relaxed a bit detecting a bit of smugness behind the small smile hinting at the Phantom's lips.

"Now, I've never really coached a singer in training, for as you know as well, that Erik taught myself everything I know, so you must spare my horrible teachings, in case they may come by." Maddy smiled at Christine's almost friendly smile. She had heard rumors of how the Phantom had turned Christine into a rather anti-social person.

"I am to be great full of any kind of training you should grant me, Madame. Wether it be acceptable or not, doesn't matter." Christine smiled again and nodded, all rumors of her being the selfish and gruesome person people's rumors had turned her into, fading quickly.

Maddy suddenly felt very intimidated. She was in the Phantom's lair, with him himself, and his Lady! She was in a place, some little ballet rats could only dream to be, and not only that, but she was to be coached by Christine Daae!

This would prove most triumphant for Madeleine, and she was very excited. She was breathing quickly, smiling and talking to Christine about what was to be expected in the lair.

"Don't spend your sweet time, glancing around in the water. There are things in there, marvelous things, that can prove dangerous for you. Don't touch Erik's music. He is very...particular about who touches his music, meaning only I have been allowed to, considering no one else has been here." Maddy nodded, understanding her words and rules.

"Very well Madame, I will keep my distance, promise." Christine nodded, and smiled again, bowing slightly. "Well, other than that I can't really tell you much else. Lessons start tomorrow morning, 6 PM sharp." Maddy sighed, trying not to show her relief. "Oh darling, you didn't think I would have you up here in the morning? Heavens no! Erik and I hardly ever get up that early ourselves!"

Maddy suddenly felt foolish, but smiled and went on with the conversation. "I will be here, but may I ask, how am I to come down here?" "Ah, Erik will retrieve you every day, and bring you to me." Madeleine was a bit nervous, hearing this. That would mean she was to be spending time with him alone...

Then again...It didn't sound like a bad thing either. She was fully aware of the fact that she was not to flirt with the Phantom. That would be extremely rude, for he had a wife. No matter how attractive he was, Maddy would not lose herself in him.

She nodded again at Christine's words, and was rushed off with Madame Giry, in the boat, and headed back to a room in the opera house that she did not recognize.

"You will be staying in Christine's old room, my dear. It's been a bit refurbished, due to your youth." Maddy nodded quietly and hugged Madame Giry. "I don't know how I could ever thank you, Giry." She gave Madame Giry a quick and friendly peck on the cheek.

"All with good tidings my dear." She smiled as well and made her way out of the room.

Maddy sat on the edge of the small bed in the corner, and looked around to more moderated room, as she recognized it more and more as Christine's old room, which in fact was only but modernized. She took a deep breath, thinking about the day ahead of her. She was to start lessons, and maybe even do some familiarizing with the opera house after that tomorrow.

She smiled to herself, and changed into her night clothes. Laying down in the bed, she pulled the plushy blankets over her shoulder, and hummed softly to herself as she imagined little romantic scenes, without even realizing it, of her and the Phantom before she quietly drifted off to sleep.


	4. The First Lesson

"Child...? Come on then! Get up!" Maddy opened her eyes, being shaken awake from a nap she had fell into earlier in the day. "I'm up, I'm up!" She sat up as the Erik stepped away from her bed, hands neatly clasped behind his back. "Come on, I'm not going to wait all night. Did you forget you were to start training today?" Maddy gasped. She had forgotten!

She leapt from the bed, grabbed her blue cloak, which matched her lighter blue dress. "I'm coming, lead the way." She slipped it over her shoulders and followed Erik carefully through the mirror on the wall. She found it a bit creepy, her mirror leading to his lair, but she didn't care. She must stay focused, she would be learning new things from Christine today, and she didn't want to give off the impression that she could not be mature enough to focus.

"Careful now." Erik helped her into the small boat, and she sat quietly towards the front on the pillows, not saying a word to him. Honestly, she felt as if he were annoyed with her coming down into his lair. She herself felt like an intruder. Christine and Erik haven't been married that long, if Maddy took the details from her movie into consideration, and she was sure that they wouldn't have much time together, what with her being down here, taking lessons.

She sighed, careful that the Phantom didn't hear her. "Child? Is something bothering you?" She cursed herself in her head. "Uhm...No, I'm fine." "Are you sure?" She was annoyed at him for pressing the subject, simply because she didn't have an answer. "Yes."

He shrugged his shoulders and looked ahead at the water. "Well, I guess what ever it is, she'll get over it," Erik thought.

They finally came into view of the lair, and Maddy marveled as the gate rose, and then descended once they were inside. Stopping at the edge of the little shore, Erik jumped from the boat and helped Maddy out as well. She made sure not to look him in the eyes, in fear of blushing. She had what you would call...a huge crush on him. She didn't want anyone to know of it, and if she blushed, surely that would give it away.

"Ah, Madeleine!" Christine smiled and took her hand in a friendly gesture, hugging her tight. "It's good to see you again. Did you have an easy trip down?" Maddy nodded and smiled back at Christine as she led her over to the huge organ. Erik walked past the two of them, and slouched lazily onto the bed in the next room, picking up a book.

He listened to the girls as they chattered a bit before actually starting the lesson.

"Now, I'm going to start you with proper breathing techniques. You'll need to know how to work your muscles correctly, in order to breathe easily throughout a performance." Erik nodded approvingly as he pretended to read his book. She was starting with a good topic.

She stood to demonstrate to Maddy. "Breathe in deeply, and pull in air while relaxing your stomach. Bring the air deeply into your lungs." She took a deep breath, showing Madeleine. Maddy nodded and took in a deep breath, letting her stomach relax, pulling in more air to her lungs. She smiled widely, knowing she was doing it right as Christine smiled with approval. She let the breath go, and looked to Christine for her next instruction.

"Good good! Just like that! Now, then." She pressed a key down on the organ and let it ring through the air. "Match the pitch, and then sing out, holding that note." Maddy suddenly froze. She blushed a bit, and looked up at Christine. "Uhm..Madame? I uh..I have a bit of a...a uh...stage fright problem." Christine giggled and took Maddy's hand. "Oh, my child. You have no reason to be shy! Your voice is almost perfect! Now, give me the note." She pressed the key once again, and waited.

Maddy worked to find the pitch looking down at the floor. Once she did, she took a deep breath, and sang out the pitch shyly until she no longer could. "Good, now this time when you go to hold the note, I want you to push flex your stomach slowly as you sing. It will push out more air allowing you to hold the note longer. Ready?"

Maddy nodded relaxing just a bit, and sang out the pitch again, but did as she was told, flexing her stomach, pushing the note further. She held the note much longer than the last time, and took a deep breath once she could hold it no longer. "Good good! Your doing well!"

Erik smiled as he listened to the two, and applauded Christine in his mind. She was doing very well for her first teaching.

"Another thing to help with keeping those notes, is to keep your posture." She straightened Maddy's shoulder, and pushed back on her upper half, making her stand straight. "Good, you must always stand straight, and keep your shoulder back, off of your chest. It's harder to hold a note with the unnecessary weight on your stomach."

Maddy nodded, smiling as she realized she really was learning things. Christine looked up at the small wall clock and back at Maddy. "I want you to do the exercise I just taught you with different notes, every day." She pressed a bit of a higher note and looked at Maddy. She matched the note, and sang out, flexing her stomach when she detected her loss of breath, pushing the note further. Christine nodded, and had Madeleine do this with several other notes until the clock struck 7 o'clock.

Christine smiled and patted Madeleine's shoulder. "You have done very well today my dear. I will see you tomorrow, keep practicing!" Maddy nodded and curtseyed quickly.

A soft noise came from in the bedroom, causing Christine and Madeleine to peak carefully around the corner. They discovered that Erik had fallen asleep, reading his book during their lesson. Christine laughed as Maddy giggled, causing Erik to jump back into reality. He quickly removed the book from his face, and sat up, stretching.

He looked at the two girls and sighed. "Finished?" Christine nodded and climbed up the stairs to him. "Yes, and Giry was right. This little one has some talent, Erik." He looked Maddy up and down as she blushed, turning her head quickly to hide it. "Yes, well. She has quite some practicing to do still yet." He got up from the bed and led Maddy to the boat, helping her back onto it. She sat on the pillows once again, and waved to Christine as they left.

Erik pushed the boat further and further into the passage ways, Madeleine staying quite most of the way. Once they came to the stair way, Erik let her off the boat. "Can you find your way from here?" Madeleine nodded. "Yes, I think I remember." He nodded and pushed back away, into the darkness, disappearing. Madeleine sighed, and began climbing the stairs. She was thinking about what Christine had taught her today.

She was proud of herself for being so confidant. She was proud of herself for not totally failing in front of Christine. She would have been humiliated especially, considering Erik was in the room. Though, then again, he had fallen asleep, so maybe he wouldn't have noticed. She wondered if he had heard her singing at all.

Suddenly anxious and nervous about it, she pushed through the mirror and into her dressing room. She plopped down on the bed, removing her shoes.

Life in the opera house was pretty boring. She didn't really do much, concerning performances. She couldn't dance, so it wasn't like she could anything really, and she had a good feeling she wouldn't be doing much for a while. She had only just finished her first lesson.

Yawning, tired from all the walking up that staircase, she laid her head down, not even bothering to remove her dress. She fell quickly asleep, slipping into a deep sleep.


	5. Sweet and Sour

Maddy was suddenly hot, very hot, sweat sticking her hair to her face. She sat up quickly and looked around. She was in Erik's bed...Why was she in Erik's bed? She got up quickly and looked around. No one was in the small bed room with her. She walked quickly around the corner and found Erik sitting at the organ. She walked over to him and he turned towards her.

"Ah, good evening my darling." Darling? "Did you sleep well?" He planted a kiss on her cheek, and she felt them heat quickly with a blush. He looked at her, very confused. "My dear, are you alright?" She stared at him, just as confused as he was. "Darling?" She turned around and stopped short, looking into a mirror.

She was wearing a creame white shift that split up to her thigh, showing her stalkings. She tried to pull the fabric together, hiding herself as her cheeks burned with embarrassment. He walked up behind her and put his hands over her shoulder. "Darling, what is it?" She looked up at the mirror and froze. She reached at a face that wasn't hers. Not hers...but Christine's. She walked closer to the mirror, out of Erik's reach, and examined herself. Suddenly, as soon as she blinked, her own face replaced Christine's.

Erik gasped behind her, and turned her around. He stepped back, his eyes wide. "What..what did you do with Christine?" Suddenly angry he struck her across the face, pushing her down to the ground. "What have you done with her?" He yelled at her, and she recoiled against the wall.

"Please, please! I don't know how I got here! Please! Don't hit me again!" She cried as she remained tensed against the wall. Peeking up at him, Erik had a new look on his face. He was also crying. Why?

He leaned down on his knees in front of her, and caressed her cheek, which was red and swollen from his blow. "I...I'm sorry." She found herself staring into his eyes, their faces coming closer every second, and thats when it happened. Their lips pressed together, and they kissed for several seconds.

Maddy backed away quickly, as did Erik, and she took in the look of confusion and guilt on his face. She backed up hastily, and suddenly found herself drowning in the lake she had just fallen into, something wrapping around her ankles, dragging her under.

Suddenly, Maddy rolled over on her side hard, breathing rapidly. She looked around quickly, finding herself in her bed, in the same dressing room she had fallen asleep in.

She sat up quickly, trying to calm her breathing. "Just a dream. It was just a dream. Calm down Maddy." She sat their for a moment, calming herself, her pulse descending. "Wait...a dream inside a dream?" She was bewildered. Thats when she convinced herself, that somehow, she really had fallen into the world of Phantom.

She sighed, crashing back against her pillows again. Thinking about the dream she had just had, she began to blush. She had kissed Erik...She had kissed him! Or rather...he had kissed her... How peculiar. She blushed again, but it faded as she thought about seeing herself as Christine. What was that about? Did it mean something?

Shaking her head, she turned over in her bed, and got comfortable again. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes trying to sleep. A few minutes later she sighed again, sitting up. She was not going to get any sleep tonight.

She got up out of the bed, and sat down at the vanity, staring into the mirror. She sat their for a moment, thinking about the dream, trying to decide what it meant. Did Erik have feelings for her? No, no. He hardly even spoke to her. She sighed again, laying her head in her arms on the small table.

Sitting like this, she heard a noise, lifting her head quickly. She looked into the mirror, behind her, and saw a figure in the shadow next to her bed. Her breathing picked up instantly as she froze with fear. "Who's there?" The figure moved, stepping out into the candle light. Maddy turned around, and gasped. "Erik? What...are you doing here?" She was completely baffled. What was he doing here?

"Uhm...Honestly, I don't really know. I woke from a strange dream, and felt the need to come check on you." He froze suddenly, as if he had said something he shouldn't have. "I'll be going now." Before Maddy could ask anything else of him, he was through the mirror, and down the passageway. "What was that about?" She asked herself.

Even more confused than when she sat in Algebra 1, she sighed, and honestly felt like crying. She blew out her candle, plunging her into darkness. Laid back down in her bed now, she began to softly cry. What in the hell was this supposed to mean? Why did she feel this way? She didn't love Erik. She shouldn't feel so ... hurt because of him. Yet, she did. Wether she liked or understood it, she did.

Closing her eyes, and breathing deeply to bring her little sobs back to normal, she hoped to fall back into a dreamless sleep and she did.

However, Erik couldn't say the same thing. He could...but it would be a lie. He stood on the other side of the two way mirror, watching her carefully as her body rose and fell with her breathing. Why was he still here? Why did he feel this ... almost magnetic pull towards this child? He did not love her. He had barely spoken to her. What did the dream mean? He had kissed her, after she somehow transformed from being his wife to herself.

He sighed, shaking his head, and left to get back to his Christine, his home, his music. He climbed into the boat after descending the long stairway, and made it home quickly. He sat at his organ, still wrapped in his cloak, thinking. Suddenly, a hand was at his shoulder.

"Darling?" He turned his head to see Christine, giving him a concerned look. "Are you alright?" He nodded giving her a gentle smile. "Yes, my dear. I'm fine. Go back to bed, I'll be there shortly." She hesitated but nodded and gave him a gentle kiss before turning and climbing back into the bed in their small bedroom.

He shook his head after sitting for another moment, trying to clear the memory of the dream from his head. Leaving his cloak draped over the chair at his stage set, he made his way into the small room, and into the bed next to Christine. She turned over and smiled, wrapping her arms around his torso.

He smiled back and placed a kiss in her brown curls, resting his chin on the top of her head. Wrapping his arm around her shoulder, she pulled herself closer to him and fell back asleep within a few moments.

He continued to think about the dream, even though he had told himself he wouldn't. Why had the dream crossed his imagination? What did it stand for? Did it stand for something?

So many questions filled his head, keeping him awake for another hour or two. Finally giving into his annoying human nature to be tired, he slipped into a dreamless sleep, and thankful for it. Who knew what would come with tomorrow's lesson.


	6. Chapter Awkward

Erik woke with heavy eyelids, late in the evening. He sighed and sat up in his bed, looking to see that Christine was already awake, probably waiting on him to retrieve-. He stopped, remembering his dream, and everything that had happened last night. All the same questions and curiosity filling his head again, he sighed.

"Darling? Are you awake? You need to fetch Madeleine." "Yes, I'm up my dear, I'm up. Give me a moment or two, I'll go get her." His mouth was suddenly dry.

After dragging himself out of bed, and wrapping himself in his cloak, he climbed into the boat and headed for the surface. He was pushing the boat through the water particularly slow, dreading having to face the girl.

Once he was at the mirror, he watched her through it for a moment. She was waiting for him obviously, for he had been coming the same time every day, like Christine had said he would. He took a deep breath, and pushed the mirror to the side.

Her head lifted and he caught her glimpse, but looked away quickly. "Madeleine." "Erik." She walked past him awkwardly and they made there way down the passages. He watched her move with a graceful yet awkward stride. He tried to correct his own rigid with awkwardness stride.

Once they were at the stairway, and began descending, he noticed Madeleine was moving rather quickly, a bit to quickly. "Madeleine, slow down. You'll fall. These stairs are quite damp." She did as he advised, slowing her pace slightly, without saying a word. He sighed. Great. Something else to worry about.

They were at the bottom of the staircase, and finally climbed into the boat. He poled them along the surface, not looking at her once. She sat to facing the side though, and he could feel her glancing sideways every few moments. "Madeleine, is something bothering you?" It was a stupid question, but he figured it wouldn't hurt to ask anyways. "Well you know...My tutor's husband was snooping around in my room last night. I should have the right to be worried, don't you think?"

Her words hurt him. They really had. He opened his mouth to speak, but didn't say a word, and closed his mouth.

Maddy hadn't meant to hurt him, but his awkward silence and the looks on his face that she caught said that she had. She sighed and looked down at the pillows in front of her. What was she going to do about this? She had spent all day thinking about the dream from last night. She had even tried reading a book to occupy herself, but it didn't help.

They had finally come to the shore of the lair. Maddy climbed out of the boat on her own, not taking Erik's offer for help. She was greeted by Christine as always, and again like always, Erik crept out of the way, and hid in the other room by himself, usually reading or sketching.

Maddy was having a difficult time concentrating during her lesson, and she felt bad when Christine began to get a bit frustrated with her.

Erik suddenly came from the room, and whispered something to Christine that Maddy didn't catch. He looked at her and she felt her cheeks grow hot. He corrected her posture and tilted her head up slightly. "Repeat after moi." He then let a note ring from his vocal's filling Maddy with a sensational feeling that took over her, and cause her to close her eyes. When he cut off the note, she came back, and did as told, repeating the note. Her voice rang through the cave, and he instructed her. "Higher."

She directed the pitch higher, holding it until she could no longer. "Higher." She tried her best, and again, brought the pitch higher, holding it. She noticed however that she couldn't hold the higher notes as long as she could the lower ones. "You've noticed you can't hold the higher notes longer?" She nodded and listened intently to him. "You don't practice your voice enough. Take time outside of lessons to practice Madeleine. Just this time with Christine is not enough."

"I recommend spending time on the stage, after rehearsal. It will help you get used to the feeling of being on the stage, and you'll have more practice time." She nodded, and decided she would take this to consideration. "Well then. Times up." She looked to the lake and sighed, walking over to the boat, and climbing in.

She waited there for him and when he climbed in as well, they set off. As always he dropped her off at the stairway. "Until tomorrow, Madeleine." She stopped and looked over her shoulder. "Uhm...Thanks for the advise..." He nodded and she left, climbing up the stairway.

Erik didn't leave right away. He sighed and pulled the boat ashore after he was sure she was out of ear shot, and laid down in the boat on the pillows. Staring at the cave wall, he wondered why he seemed to be so attracted to Madeleine. She was nothing like Christine...and Christine was his perfect other half. Sometimes he looked at her as the good side of his face. Madeleine was merely a child...

He sighed and thought like this for a few hours. Pulling himself out of his subconscious state, he realized how late it was getting, and hurried to get home, knowing Christine was waiting. He would tell her there was a problem with Madeleine...She fell. Yes, that would be his excuse.

Once he was home, he found Christine waiting for him, as he knew she would be. "What took so long? Was everything alright?" "Oh, yes. Madeleine tripped on a damp spot on the stairs, she'll be fine." She nodded and stood as he walked past her. "Erik?" He turned and looked at her, a questioning expression on his features. "You and Madeleine...Theres nothing..." She trailed off. "Nothing...what? What is it my dear?" "Oh, nothing. It was foolish of me to even think of it." He was confused, but he let it go, and left to go to bed. "Are you coming ma cherie?" He asked, peeking around the corner. "Yes, yes I'm coming." Something was still wrong.

He walked back to her and put his arms around her shoulders. "Christine, what's wrong?" She waited a moment, but began speaking. "You and Madeleine...the way you looked at her when you were instructing her-." He suddenly understood and cut her off.

"Christine there is nothing going on between us. She's just a child, Christine. No more than our student, I swear it."

She nodded and gave him a quick hug around the waist. He placed a soft kiss in her curls, but he couldn't help but feel like he had lied to her. Why! Why though?

There was no reason for it, that he knew of! Why was it this way? Curse the child for seeming so vulnerable and needy!

He sighed into her curls and held her for a moment longer before they parted and went to bed together. He was going to have to figure this out sooner or later. He couldn't keep feeling this way. It would tear him apart, especially if he let it go very far.

...

Maddy was just finishing practicing her scales on the stage. She sighed and looked out across the darkened rows of seats. One day she would be singing in front of a whole crowd. On this very stage.

The thought excited her, and she found she loved being up on the stage. It made her feel almost special, for she had the chance to be a singer one day.

Yawning heavily, she decided it was time to head back to the comforts of her bed, the thoughts of her dream reoccurring in her head. She walked quickly through the dark and changed into her night shift. She was afraid to sleep, she honestly was. As much as she enjoyed the dream she didn't want one like it again. It was much to tempting.

She laid herself down, blew out her candle and crashed, falling deep into the darkness of her surroundings.


	7. Bruised

Erik was suddenly lurched into a dream as he fell into a deep sleep. He was playing his organ, repeating Music of the Night over and over. He heard her stirring and whispering to herself as she got up. He ignored the sounds and continued to play until she came up behind him. He turned his head to see his Christine.

"Ah, Good evening my darling." He smiled up at her, as a confused look crossed her face. He shrugged it off and decided to ignore it. "Did you sleep well?" Kissing her cheek, he watched them redden and he could tell they had warmed. He gave her a confused look now. "My dear, are you alright?" He waited a moment. "Darling?"

Instead of answering him she turned around and stopped, looking in the mirror. She was suddenly even more embarrassed, pulling the split in her shift together, covering her leg. He almost chuckled to himself. Walking closer, he let his hands fall on her shoulders. "Darling, what is it?" Looking up at herself, she froze, her face turning pale. He blinked, and suddenly his Christine was no longer herself, but that child she had agreed to tutor. She walked closer to the mirror, wide eyed examining herself. He gasped and grabbed her by the waist, twisting her around.

Stepping back wide eyed, he spoke. "What...what did you do with Christine?" He yelled at her. She didn't answer, and it angered him so much so that he lifted his hand and struck her hard across the face, sending her to the floor. She let out a cry as he yelled again. "What have you done with her?" She pressed herself against the wall as if it would protect her.

"Please, please! I don't know how I got here! Please! Don't hit me again!" Suddenly feeling a wave of guilt wash over him, he fell down on his knees, caressing her cheek gently, seeing it was swollen and red already. "I...I'm sorry." He softly stuttered. She slowly found his gaze and stared into his eyes, as did he back into hers. Then suddenly, they were kissing, hard and passionately. He felt something, something familiar while they kissed. He was attracted to this child, whom he barely knew. This girl that seemed to be just as attracted to him.

Madeleine was the first to back away, scared and full of guilt. Erik even took a few scoots away from her, himself. As if she didn't feel far enough away, she backed up again. He didn't realize how close to the edge she was until it was too late. She had fallen, and was drowning in the lake.

He could hear her screams clearly, even if she was underwater. The sound filled his ears as he looked over the edge, scared and frantic, searching for her.

Thats when Erik woke, with a large gasp. He stared up at the ceiling, breathing hard. The same dream? Two nights in a row? He shook his head, trying to clear her blood curtailing screams from his memory. He sat up carefully, trying not to stir Christine.

His mind wandered on its own, as he gave his thoughts control over him, and before he knew it he was in the same spot he had been the last night when he had the same dream. Standing at the two way mirror into Madeleine's room. She was awake as well, sitting up in her bed. She looked troubled, as if she had also had a bad dream.

Was his dream a bad one? Did he not like kissing Madeleine? No, he did. Though, why was what he couldn't figure. Was she having the same dream he was? He looked at her again, and noticed her cheek had turned purple. His eyes widened and he looked closer, seeing the bruise through the darkness.

When did she get that? Had that been from his blow in their dream? No, of course not. It was only a dream! Wasn't it?

He sighed and rubbed his temples, taking in another deep breath. He looked at her again, and this time she had gotten up and walked to the mirror. Lighting a candle, he saw just how bad the bruise had been. He looked away and shamed himself, wether or not it may be possible. It was still his fault, and he had no excuse to hit a woman. His anger had gotten the best of him, and that certainly was no excuse.

She turned suddenly, covering her face in her hands. Crying. Erik put his hand to the mirror and considered stepping in to comfort her. Sighing and watching her crumple to the floor, he stepped in, almost crying just seeing her cry. "M-madeleine." He took in a silent breath, gaining his control back. She looked up, startled.

"Erik? W-what are you doing here? Again?" She covered her cheek and he gave her a sympathetic look. Leaning down on his knees over her, he took her hand. "No. Don't." She tried turning from him but he looked her in the eyes, and pulled her hand away. He was pained at himself for causing her such pain. "Madeleine. I'm so sorry." She looked at him confused.

"For what?" He sighed and leaned against the wall next to her. "Madeleine have you been having a dream...a dream about you and I?" She looked at him again. "Sort of..." He nodded. "It starts out as Christine and I, but turns into you and I somehow?" She nodded and her eyes went wide. "Have you been having the same dream?"

He nodded and she gasped. Tsking her she quieted down, but then blushed and looked away, holding her cheek.

"What do you think it means Erik...?" He shrugged next to her and sighed. "I have no idea." She sighed this time, and poked at her cheek, wincing. "Don't play with it, you'll agitate it."

She stopped and looked back at him. "I don't even understand where it came from. I had gone to bed perfectly fine. Is it even possible to receive something from a dream as if it were real?" He looked away, wishing he could give her an answer. "I do not know, but it seems that it is, considering your living proof."

She sighed and got up, sitting back down on the bed. "Well then, I should be going." Erik got up and started to walk through the mirror. "Erik?"

He froze and turned his head slightly. "Yes?" It took her a moment to answer, but when she did he was surprised. "The kiss...it may have been a dream but...Did you feel anything?" He looked down the passage in front of him.

He could walk away, and pretend he didn't want to answer her question, but as much as he loved Christine, he wanted to tell her yes. He wanted to tell her that it had meant a lot to him, but he didn't. He couldn't betray Christine that way.

"No." With that, he walked off, leaving her behind. Before he closed the mirror, he thought he could hear soft muffled cries coming from the room. She was crying.

He closed his eyes, and the mirror, leaving down the passageway. Maddy sat on the edge of her bed, crying over a man she hardly even knew anything about. What was wrong with her? Why did she feel so confused about him?

She sniffled and wiped her nose on a tissue, and laid back down. Covering herself in soft blankets. She thought about lessons tomorrow, and realized how badly she didn't want to go. What with her new blemish, it would be hard to explain to Christine without getting Erik into trouble, or confusing Christine any more than they were.

She sighed and closed her eyes, humming Erik's Music of the Night until she fell into another deep and dreamless sleep.


	8. Conflicted

When Maddy woke up this morning, she slipped into her robe, and snuck off to visit Madame Giry. They had tea and a few little muffins, talking about Madeleine's progress in her lesson's and practice, and had made a big deal about the bruise on her face, like she anticipated. She hadn't practiced in a few nights now, and made a mental note to do so tonight after lesson's were over.

"Madame, can I talk to you about something?" She set her tea cup down and nodded. "Anything Madeleine, what is it child?" "I've been having this dream." She hesitated, and debated mentally wether she should be telling Madame Giry this yet.

She decided it would be safe to just leave the subject alone until the time need her to. "Oh, just a dream of me when I was younger. It kind of confused me as I woke this morning." They giggled together.

Maddy finally left, and snuck back to her room. She realized it was still considerably early, and snuck off on to the stage.

Looking out over the seats she began to hum Think of Me, and was singing it shortly after. "Think of me, think of me fondly when we've said goodbye." She smiled at the obvious improvement in her voice. "Remember me, once in a while please promise me you'll try. Then you'll find that once again you long to take your heart back and be free." She smiled widely, stepping further out onto the stage, feeling an overwhelming emotion wash over her. "If you'll ever find a moment, spare a thought for me."

She imagined a symphony of instruments blaring over the audience and stage as she hummed the melody, singing loudly again. "We never said our love was evergreen or as unchanging as the sea, but if you can still remember, stop and think of me."

She beamed, singing higher and higher, imagining the crowd below her. She was so wrapped up in her little fantasy, that she hadn't noticed Erik watching from above.

"Think of all the things we've shared and seen. Don't think about the way things might have been. Think of me, think of me waking silent and resigned."

Erik smiled, listening to the angelic of her voice. She was becoming very good. He dreaded the day when he no longer needed to retrieve her every day for lessons. Eventually, she wouldn't need them.

"Imagine me, trying to hard to put you from my mind." The line slid off her tongue, and she suddenly stopped, thinking of Erik. However, the thought didn't make her sad like she was prepared for. It made her feel like blossoming, and her voice boomed.

"Recall those days, look back on all those times, think of the things we'll never do. There will never be a day, when I wont think of you!"

Erik was startled when her voice suddenly burst around him, and she seemed to have a boost of pure confidence.

Maddy kept her thoughts on Erik, and his musical voice, singing loudly with great triumph, that she had never known before.

"Flowers fade, the fruits of summer fade. They have their seasons, so do we. But please promise me that sometimes you will think..."

Erik listened and watched intently, seeing the pure emotion on Madeleine's face. Her voice echoed and he couldn't help but close his eyes in pure joy.

"Ah-ah-ah-ah...Ah-ah-ah-ah...Ah, Ah-ah-ah-ah..." He waited impatiently, for the notes to boom from her voice. Maddy remembered the dream of her and Erik, and was flashed with the image of their kiss, and in result her voice rang out loud and strong.

"Oooof Me!" She listened to the symphony in her mind play out the last notes, and she opened her eyes, startled as she looked up to see Erik watching her. She blushed deeply as he smiled down upon her.

"Brava ma cherie. Well done. Are you sure we shouldn't cut your lessons down to just twice a week, because your becoming remarkably good."

She blushed deeper, feeling foolish for not checking her surroundings. He disappeared behind a door in the wall on the chandelier level where he had been standing. He was suddenly walking towards the stage, from the middle isle of the rows of seats. "I must say, Madeleine your certainly impressive." She nodded her thanks, and touched her bruise. It had gotten reasonably better over night, but was still a bright yellow on her cheek.

She heard him sigh as he climbed up onto the stage. "I really am sorry." She suddenly remembered last night, when he had left her room. He had hurt her far worse than what the bruise could ever do. The kiss they shared in their dream, it meant nothing to him. She didn't understand how she could seem to feel so much for him, and he so little for her.

"Madeleine? Is something wrong?" She looked up at him, realizing that her eyes were tearing up as she shifted them. Blinking a few times, she felt one of the slip before she could stop them from flowing. Erik lifted her head by her chin and wiped the tear away.

"Madeleine, why are you crying?" She stared into his eyes and shook her head, stepping back away from him. Thinking about that moment, replaying it in her mind. _No...No. No._ She listened to him tell her that it meant nothing to him over and over, letting the tears come down.

Erik looked at her, confused and worried. "Madeleine? What in the earth is the matter?" She looked up at him again, still backing away. She finally turned and ran as he called after her. "Madeleine!"

He looked after her, confused. What had he said? Nothing offensive, nothing of the nature at all. He sighed and shook his head, feeling even more guilty.

Last night he had crushed her, telling her that she meant nothing to him. He recalled thinking of her crying after he had said this last night. It had broken his heart to know that he had hurt herm, but what else was he to do? He couldn't lead her on to believe that he loved her. He loved Christine, and he would not betray her. Not for a child he did not know what so ever.

Though, every time he saw the child cry, he wanted to do just that. Wrap Madeleine in his arms, treat her as if he would always be there, but he could not be. He could not reassure her with his kisses to her forehead, couldn't make her feel safe within his embrace.

Sighing deeply before he himself started weeping, he straightened and went back to his business. He climbed a stairway back to the chandelier level where he disappeared through the door in the wall, and through the next in the small room.

He took the note from his pocket, and slid through the door that would lead him down a passage, to the managers office. Poking the note through the vent door, he watched it land on the desk which belonged to Firmin. Satisfied, he turned around and came back through the passageway, but took a different stairway, leading him to a passage that led to Madeleine's room.

He watched through the mirror. She was weeping on her bed, her face held in her hands, the bruise on her face poking through the cracks in her fingers.

It pained him to see her cry so desperately. Was she crying over him? Surely not. Like himself, she had no idea who he really was. What he was like, what kind of person he was. _A murderer. _

The thought echoed through his haunted memory as he remembered the night he crashed the chandelier and burned the Populaire down. He sighed and shook his head, clearing the memory from his thoughts. He looked up and was startled to see Madeleine standing next to the mirror.

Her eyes were shadowed by red rings under her eyes from crying. The bruise was plain and clear, yellow on her cheek. He sighed. What was she doing?

Her hand pressed against the glass, and she looked Erik dead in the eye. Could she see him?

"Erik?" She spoke through the glass, looking at him as if she could see him. "Erik, are you there?" He held his breath, but suddenly had an idea. He took a deep breath and began to sing.


	9. My Secret Truth

Maddy heard his voice ring around her soul, and grasp her from within as she listened to his words. "Madeleine child, listen closely." Her breath came slow and steady as she listened to him. "You must know my secret truth." Her curiosity spiked and she waited for him to continue with this "secret truth". "Madeleine child, you don't know me. Yet I do love you."

Her eyes were open in an instant as his words settled in. He...he loved her. He loved her! She felt like bursting, but then, there were things that came to mind that he must know as well, and so, she sang back.

"Erik you cut me deeply." Erik listened to her voice, nearly bursting through the mirror right then. He felt a very strong need to hold her, as he listened to her explain her feelings to him. He felt bad for ever hurting her in any way. "Caused more pain than just a small bruise." He closed his eyes, guilt washing over every ounce of him. "Erik you say that you love me, and I love you too." His heart hammered against his chest as he stared at her through the mirror.

She listened to the silence, desperate to know she hadn't scared him away. He wouldn't have left would he? He loved her, so he said. Why would he leave? She pressed her hands against the mirror, and felt it sliding open.

Looking past the glass, she saw Erik standing before her, almost in tears. His posture stood strong, but his eyes deceived him, showing his emotions. He stepped forward, and took her into a surprise embrace, holding her tightly as he shook with soft cries.

She held him around the torso, crying into his shoulder. He spoke now, no longer singing. "Madeleine, ever since that dream, I don't know why, but you attract me so. I haven't been able to ignore the feeling, and I know that I never will, as long as I know you." She pulled back and looked up at him.

"Erik, we are total strangers to each other, yet I feel I've known you for years. How do you explain such a thing?" "I don't know Madeleine, I don't, but the only thing that matters, is that you know how I feel about this."

She nodded and looked behind him, her eyes suddenly wide. Standing there in the opening of the mirror, was Christine, hands on hips. Her face read total rage and betrayal. "Erik. What are you doing here? In this room, with this child? Holding her? Comforting her from her drastic fall I presume?"

Erik froze, and turned around. His eyes widened for a second, but returned normal. "Christine, this isn't-" She broke him off with the palm of her hand. "No, I don't need your explanation. I saw this coming. I could sense the attraction between you two, wether you knew about it yourselves or not."

Maddy felt horrible. She hadn't meant for something like this to happen. She hadn't meant for Christine or even Erik to know about her feelings, but she only thought it fair to tell him what he had told her. The truth.

Christine was crying now, slipping her wedding ring from her finger. She placed it in Erik's hands and he looked down at it, and back at her confused. "No, no Christine don't do this!" "Faire taire!" She spoke in fluent French, obviously not wanting me to know what she was telling him.

Erik just stood there, crying and shaking his head. He fell to his knees and grasped the hem of her dress. "No, Christine, do not do this to me. She means nothing, she's just a child, nothing!"

The words hurt, but Maddy knew they weren't true. He had just told her that. Christine only shook her head, gave Madeleine a dirty look, and spit words in French, that she didn't understand.

Erik gasped and stood, smacking Christine hard against the face, like he had done to Maddy in her dream. Christine only looked at him, crying with her mouth agape. "How dare you touch me like that!" "How dare you insult the poor girl! She has no part in this!" Christine turned to him again. "Your defending her?"

He sighed and shook his head, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Christine, I've had enough of this. You know I love you, and I always will. Always Christine, forever. But you cannot insist on insulting this poor girl! She has done nothing!" "She has stolen your heart, and taken your loyalty to me! You care more for a child you do not even know!"

Erik took Christine by the chin hard and aggressive. "Christine Daae, I am just about an inch away from severely harming you. Leave. I don't ever want to see your selfishness again. You left me, maybe now you'll know what it's like to be broken hearted. I'll teach Madeleine myself."

Christine only looked him in the eyes, hers narrowed into small slits. He let go of her chin, and forced her towards the mirror opening. She tripped slightly. "Get your things from my lair, and leave." All she did was turn and walk down the passageway.

Madeleine stood there, stunned by what just happened. Erik turned towards her, and gave her a sympathetic look. Maddy looked him in the eyes. "What now?" He sighed and caressed her still yellow cheek softly. "Get some rest. I'll deal with Christine. You've been through far too much tonight."

She nodded, and watched as he left through the mirrored entrance once again.

Madeleine sat down on the soft mattress, removing her cloak and shoes. She laid down, still in her dress, and covered herself with the blankets. She felt like crying all over again. She never intended for Christine to have seen them together, let alone cause Erik so much pain. She wanted to hurt Christine. Badly, just because she had jumped to conclusions, even though her conclusion was correct.

Stiffling a yawn, she laid back into the pillows, and closed her eyes tightly. She thought of Erik and hummed Music of the Night while she listened to the soft humming in her ears. His voice, she recognized it as his, was in her head, singing his confession over and over from a few moments ago.

After a few ours of sleepless thinking, Madeleine felt herself finally about to slip into the black of sleep, when she felt someone curl up beside her on the bed. She froze as an arm wrapped around her torso. She dared a look behind her and saw Erik, easily sleeping next to her.

She blushed, but smiled. He must be exhausted, and she was sure that Christine probably wouldn't have let him stay in his own home as long as she was still there.

She didn't care that he was there though. She liked having him near. She felt safe and comforted with him next to her. She scooted back and he tightened his embrace around her, and they both were suddenly asleep, feeling their minds slip into dreams of their own.


	10. A New Mistress

Erik was suddenly lurched into a dream as he fell into a deep sleep. He was playing his organ, repeating Music of the Night over and over. He heard her stirring and whispering to herself as she got up. He ignored the sounds and continued to play until she came up behind him. He turned his head to see his Christine.

"Ah, Good evening my darling." He smiled up at her, as a confused look crossed her face. He shrugged it off and decided to ignore it. "Did you sleep well?" Kissing her cheek, he watched them redden and he could tell they had warmed. He gave her a confused look now. "My dear, are you alright?" He waited a moment. "Darling?"

Instead of answering him she turned around and stopped, looking in the mirror. She was suddenly even more embarrassed, pulling the split in her shift together, covering her leg. He almost chuckled to himself. Walking closer, he let his hands fall on her shoulders. "Darling, what is it?" Looking up at herself, she froze, her face turning pale. He blinked, and suddenly his Christine was no longer herself, but that child she had agreed to tutor. She walked closer to the mirror, wide eyed examining herself. He gasped and grabbed her by the waist, twisting her around.

Stepping back wide eyed, he spoke. "What...what did you do with Christine?" He yelled at her. She didn't answer, and it angered him so much so that he lifted his hand and struck her hard across the face, sending her to the floor. She let out a cry as he yelled again. "What have you done with her?" She pressed herself against the wall as if it would protect her.

"Please, please! I don't know how I got here! Please! Don't hit me again!" Suddenly feeling a wave of guilt wash over him, he fell down on his knees, caressing her cheek gently, seeing it was swollen and red already. "I...I'm sorry." He softly stuttered. She slowly found his gaze and stared into his eyes, as did he back into hers. Then suddenly, they were kissing, hard and passionately. He felt something, something familiar while they kissed. He was attracted to this child, whom he barely knew. This girl that seemed to be just as attracted to him.

Madeleine was the first to back away, scared and full of guilt. Erik even took a few scoots away from her, himself. As if she didn't feel far enough away, she backed up again. He didn't realize how close to the edge she was until it was too late. She had fallen, and was drowning in the lake.

He could hear her screams clearly, even if she was underwater. The sound filled his ears as he looked over the edge, scared and frantic, searching for her.

Thats when Erik woke, with a large gasp. He stared up at the ceiling, breathing hard. The same dream? Two nights in a row? He shook his head, trying to clear her blood curtailing screams from his memory. He sat up carefully, trying not to stir Christine.

His mind wandered on its own, as he gave his thoughts control over him, and before he knew it he was in the same spot he had been the last night when he had the same dream. Standing at the two way mirror into Madeleine's room. She was awake as well, sitting up in her bed. She looked troubled, as if she had also had a bad dream.

Was his dream a bad one? Did he not like kissing Madeleine? No, he did. Though, why was what he couldn't figure. Was she having the same dream he was? He looked at her again, and noticed her cheek had turned purple. His eyes widened and he looked closer, seeing the bruise through the darkness.

When did she get that? Had that been from his blow in their dream? No, of course not. It was only a dream! Wasn't it?

He sighed and rubbed his temples, taking in another deep breath. He looked at her again, and this time she had gotten up and walked to the mirror. Lighting a candle, he saw just how bad the bruise had been. He looked away and shamed himself, wether or not it may be possible. It was still his fault, and he had no excuse to hit a woman. His anger had gotten the best of him, and that certainly was no excuse.

She turned suddenly, covering her face in her hands. Crying. Erik put his hand to the mirror and considered stepping in to comfort her. Sighing and watching her crumple to the floor, he stepped in, almost crying just seeing her cry. "M-madeleine." He took in a silent breath, gaining his control back. She looked up, startled.

"Erik? W-what are you doing here? Again?" She covered her cheek and he gave her a sympathetic look. Leaning down on his knees over her, he took her hand. "No. Don't." She tried turning from him but he looked her in the eyes, and pulled her hand away. He was pained at himself for causing her such pain. "Madeleine. I'm so sorry." She looked at him confused.

"For what?" He sighed and leaned against the wall next to her. "Madeleine have you been having a dream...a dream about you and I?" She looked at him again. "Sort of..." He nodded. "It starts out as Christine and I, but turns into you and I somehow?" She nodded and her eyes went wide. "Have you been having the same dream?"

He nodded and she gasped. Tsking her she quieted down, but then blushed and looked away, holding her cheek.

"What do you think it means Erik...?" He shrugged next to her and sighed. "I have no idea." She sighed this time, and poked at her cheek, wincing. "Don't play with it, you'll agitate it."

She stopped and looked back at him. "I don't even understand where it came from. I had gone to bed perfectly fine. Is it even possible to receive something from a dream as if it were real?" He looked away, wishing he could give her an answer. "I do not know, but it seems that it is, considering your living proof."

She sighed and got up, sitting back down on the bed. "Well then, I should be going." Erik got up and started to walk through the mirror. "Erik?"

He froze and turned his head slightly. "Yes?" It took her a moment to answer, but when she did he was surprised. "The kiss...it may have been a dream but...Did you feel anything?" He looked down the passage in front of him.

He could walk away, and pretend he didn't want to answer her question, but as much as he loved Christine, he wanted to tell her yes. He wanted to tell her that it had meant a lot to him, but he didn't. He couldn't betray Christine that way.

"No." With that, he walked off, leaving her behind. Before he closed the mirror, he thought he could hear soft muffled cries coming from the room. She was crying.

He closed his eyes, and the mirror, leaving down the passageway. Maddy sat on the edge of her bed, crying over a man she hardly even knew anything about. What was wrong with her? Why did she feel so confused about him?

She sniffled and wiped her nose on a tissue, and laid back down. Covering herself in soft blankets. She thought about lessons tomorrow, and realized how badly she didn't want to go. What with her new blemish, it would be hard to explain to Christine without getting Erik into trouble, or confusing Christine any more than they were.

She sighed and closed her eyes, humming Erik's Music of the Night until she fell into another deep and dreamless sleep.


	11. Living With The Phantom

When Maddy woke up this morning, she slipped into her robe, and snuck off to visit Madame Giry. They had tea and a few little muffins, talking about Madeleine's progress in her lesson's and practice, and had made a big deal about the bruise on her face, like she anticipated. She hadn't practiced in a few nights now, and made a mental note to do so tonight after lesson's were over.

"Madame, can I talk to you about something?" She set her tea cup down and nodded. "Anything Madeleine, what is it child?" "I've been having this dream." She hesitated, and debated mentally wether she should be telling Madame Giry this yet.

She decided it would be safe to just leave the subject alone until the time need her to. "Oh, just a dream of me when I was younger. It kind of confused me as I woke this morning." They giggled together.

Maddy finally left, and snuck back to her room. She realized it was still considerably early, and snuck off on to the stage.

Looking out over the seats she began to hum Think of Me, and was singing it shortly after. "Think of me, think of me fondly when we've said goodbye." She smiled at the obvious improvement in her voice. "Remember me, once in a while please promise me you'll try. Then you'll find that once again you long to take your heart back and be free." She smiled widely, stepping further out onto the stage, feeling an overwhelming emotion wash over her. "If you'll ever find a moment, spare a thought for me."

She imagined a symphony of instruments blaring over the audience and stage as she hummed the melody, singing loudly again. "We never said our love was evergreen or as unchanging as the sea, but if you can still remember, stop and think of me."

She beamed, singing higher and higher, imagining the crowd below her. She was so wrapped up in her little fantasy, that she hadn't noticed Erik watching from above.

"Think of all the things we've shared and seen. Don't think about the way things might have been. Think of me, think of me waking silent and resigned."

Erik smiled, listening to the angelic of her voice. She was becoming very good. He dreaded the day when he no longer needed to retrieve her every day for lessons. Eventually, she wouldn't need them.

"Imagine me, trying to hard to put you from my mind." The line slid off her tongue, and she suddenly stopped, thinking of Erik. However, the thought didn't make her sad like she was prepared for. It made her feel like blossoming, and her voice boomed.

"Recall those days, look back on all those times, think of the things we'll never do. There will never be a day, when I wont think of you!"

Erik was startled when her voice suddenly burst around him, and she seemed to have a boost of pure confidence.

Maddy kept her thoughts on Erik, and his musical voice, singing loudly with great triumph, that she had never known before.

"Flowers fade, the fruits of summer fade. They have their seasons, so do we. But please promise me that sometimes you will think..."

Erik listened and watched intently, seeing the pure emotion on Madeleine's face. Her voice echoed and he couldn't help but close his eyes in pure joy.

"Ah-ah-ah-ah...Ah-ah-ah-ah...Ah, Ah-ah-ah-ah..." He waited impatiently, for the notes to boom from her voice. Maddy remembered the dream of her and Erik, and was flashed with the image of their kiss, and in result her voice rang out loud and strong.

"Oooof Me!" She listened to the symphony in her mind play out the last notes, and she opened her eyes, startled as she looked up to see Erik watching her. She blushed deeply as he smiled down upon her.

"Brava ma cherie. Well done. Are you sure we shouldn't cut your lessons down to just twice a week, because your becoming remarkably good."

She blushed deeper, feeling foolish for not checking her surroundings. He disappeared behind a door in the wall on the chandelier level where he had been standing. He was suddenly walking towards the stage, from the middle isle of the rows of seats. "I must say, Madeleine your certainly impressive." She nodded her thanks, and touched her bruise. It had gotten reasonably better over night, but was still a bright yellow on her cheek.

She heard him sigh as he climbed up onto the stage. "I really am sorry." She suddenly remembered last night, when he had left her room. He had hurt her far worse than what the bruise could ever do. The kiss they shared in their dream, it meant nothing to him. She didn't understand how she could seem to feel so much for him, and he so little for her.

"Madeleine? Is something wrong?" She looked up at him, realizing that her eyes were tearing up as she shifted them. Blinking a few times, she felt one of the slip before she could stop them from flowing. Erik lifted her head by her chin and wiped the tear away.

"Madeleine, why are you crying?" She stared into his eyes and shook her head, stepping back away from him. Thinking about that moment, replaying it in her mind. _No...No. No._ She listened to him tell her that it meant nothing to him over and over, letting the tears come down.

Erik looked at her, confused and worried. "Madeleine? What in the earth is the matter?" She looked up at him again, still backing away. She finally turned and ran as he called after her. "Madeleine!"

He looked after her, confused. What had he said? Nothing offensive, nothing of the nature at all. He sighed and shook his head, feeling even more guilty.

Last night he had crushed her, telling her that she meant nothing to him. He recalled thinking of her crying after he had said this last night. It had broken his heart to know that he had hurt herm, but what else was he to do? He couldn't lead her on to believe that he loved her. He loved Christine, and he would not betray her. Not for a child he did not know what so ever.

Though, every time he saw the child cry, he wanted to do just that. Wrap Madeleine in his arms, treat her as if he would always be there, but he could not be. He could not reassure her with his kisses to her forehead, couldn't make her feel safe within his embrace.

Sighing deeply before he himself started weeping, he straightened and went back to his business. He climbed a stairway back to the chandelier level where he disappeared through the door in the wall, and through the next in the small room.

He took the note from his pocket, and slid through the door that would lead him down a passage, to the managers office. Poking the note through the vent door, he watched it land on the desk which belonged to Firmin. Satisfied, he turned around and came back through the passageway, but took a different stairway, leading him to a passage that led to Madeleine's room.

He watched through the mirror. She was weeping on her bed, her face held in her hands, the bruise on her face poking through the cracks in her fingers.

It pained him to see her cry so desperately. Was she crying over him? Surely not. Like himself, she had no idea who he really was. What he was like, what kind of person he was. _A murderer. _

The thought echoed through his haunted memory as he remembered the night he crashed the chandelier and burned the Populaire down. He sighed and shook his head, clearing the memory from his thoughts. He looked up and was startled to see Madeleine standing next to the mirror.

Her eyes were shadowed by red rings under her eyes from crying. The bruise was plain and clear, yellow on her cheek. He sighed. What was she doing?

Her hand pressed against the glass, and she looked Erik dead in the eye. Could she see him?

"Erik?" She spoke through the glass, looking at him as if she could see him. "Erik, are you there?" He held his breath, but suddenly had an idea. He took a deep breath and began to sing.


	12. Stage Fright

Maddy heard his voice ring around her soul, and grasp her from within as she listened to his words. "Madeleine child, listen closely." Her breath came slow and steady as she listened to him. "You must know my secret truth." Her curiosity spiked and she waited for him to continue with this "secret truth". "Madeleine child, you don't know me. Yet I do love you."

Her eyes were open in an instant as his words settled in. He...he loved her. He loved her! She felt like bursting, but then, there were things that came to mind that he must know as well, and so, she sang back.

"Erik you cut me deeply." Erik listened to her voice, nearly bursting through the mirror right then. He felt a very strong need to hold her, as he listened to her explain her feelings to him. He felt bad for ever hurting her in any way. "Caused more pain than just a small bruise." He closed his eyes, guilt washing over every ounce of him. "Erik you say that you love me, and I love you too." His heart hammered against his chest as he stared at her through the mirror.

She listened to the silence, desperate to know she hadn't scared him away. He wouldn't have left would he? He loved her, so he said. Why would he leave? She pressed her hands against the mirror, and felt it sliding open.

Looking past the glass, she saw Erik standing before her, almost in tears. His posture stood strong, but his eyes deceived him, showing his emotions. He stepped forward, and took her into a surprise embrace, holding her tightly as he shook with soft cries.

She held him around the torso, crying into his shoulder. He spoke now, no longer singing. "Madeleine, ever since that dream, I don't know why, but you attract me so. I haven't been able to ignore the feeling, and I know that I never will, as long as I know you." She pulled back and looked up at him.

"Erik, we are total strangers to each other, yet I feel I've known you for years. How do you explain such a thing?" "I don't know Madeleine, I don't, but the only thing that matters, is that you know how I feel about this."

She nodded and looked behind him, her eyes suddenly wide. Standing there in the opening of the mirror, was Christine, hands on hips. Her face read total rage and betrayal. "Erik. What are you doing here? In this room, with this child? Holding her? Comforting her from her drastic fall I presume?"

Erik froze, and turned around. His eyes widened for a second, but returned normal. "Christine, this isn't-" She broke him off with the palm of her hand. "No, I don't need your explanation. I saw this coming. I could sense the attraction between you two, wether you knew about it yourselves or not."

Maddy felt horrible. She hadn't meant for something like this to happen. She hadn't meant for Christine or even Erik to know about her feelings, but she only thought it fair to tell him what he had told her. The truth.

Christine was crying now, slipping her wedding ring from her finger. She placed it in Erik's hands and he looked down at it, and back at her confused. "No, no Christine don't do this!" "Faire taire!" She spoke in fluent French, obviously not wanting me to know what she was telling him.

Erik just stood there, crying and shaking his head. He fell to his knees and grasped the hem of her dress. "No, Christine, do not do this to me. She means nothing, she's just a child, nothing!"

The words hurt, but Maddy knew they weren't true. He had just told her that. Christine only shook her head, gave Madeleine a dirty look, and spit words in French, that she didn't understand.

Erik gasped and stood, smacking Christine hard against the face, like he had done to Maddy in her dream. Christine only looked at him, crying with her mouth agape. "How dare you touch me like that!" "How dare you insult the poor girl! She has no part in this!" Christine turned to him again. "Your defending her?"

He sighed and shook his head, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Christine, I've had enough of this. You know I love you, and I always will. Always Christine, forever. But you cannot insist on insulting this poor girl! She has done nothing!" "She has stolen your heart, and taken your loyalty to me! You care more for a child you do not even know!"

Erik took Christine by the chin hard and aggressive. "Christine Daae, I am just about an inch away from severely harming you. Leave. I don't ever want to see your selfishness again. You left me, maybe now you'll know what it's like to be broken hearted. I'll teach Madeleine myself."

Christine only looked him in the eyes, hers narrowed into small slits. He let go of her chin, and forced her towards the mirror opening. She tripped slightly. "Get your things from my lair, and leave." All she did was turn and walk down the passageway.

Madeleine stood there, stunned by what just happened. Erik turned towards her, and gave her a sympathetic look. Maddy looked him in the eyes. "What now?" He sighed and caressed her still yellow cheek softly. "Get some rest. I'll deal with Christine. You've been through far too much tonight."

She nodded, and watched as he left through the mirrored entrance once again.

Madeleine sat down on the soft mattress, removing her cloak and shoes. She laid down, still in her dress, and covered herself with the blankets. She felt like crying all over again. She never intended for Christine to have seen them together, let alone cause Erik so much pain. She wanted to hurt Christine. Badly, just because she had jumped to conclusions, even though her conclusion was correct.

Stiffling a yawn, she laid back into the pillows, and closed her eyes tightly. She thought of Erik and hummed Music of the Night while she listened to the soft humming in her ears. His voice, she recognized it as his, was in her head, singing his confession over and over from a few moments ago.

After a few ours of sleepless thinking, Madeleine felt herself finally about to slip into the black of sleep, when she felt someone curl up beside her on the bed. She froze as an arm wrapped around her torso. She dared a look behind her and saw Erik, easily sleeping next to her.

She blushed, but smiled. He must be exhausted, and she was sure that Christine probably wouldn't have let him stay in his own home as long as she was still there.

She didn't care that he was there though. She liked having him near. She felt safe and comforted with him next to her. She scooted back and he tightened his embrace around her, and they both were suddenly asleep, feeling their minds slip into dreams of their own.


	13. An Evening To Relax

(( Again. Excuse My Rusty French xD ))

Madeleine stirred, groaning slightly. She looked up at the wall clock, suddenly panicked. She rushed out of bed, swearing quietly to herself and started digging through her wardrobe. She hadn't noticed when Erik puled her curtain back easily and coughed.

She looked back at him, acknowledging the lazy look on his face, yet saw a spark of humor in his eyes. "No rehearsals today, remember?" Maddy stood for a moment, calculating his words through her tired brain. She then let out a loud groan, threw the clothes back in her wardrobe, and fell back into her bed. "I had totally forgotten. Good, I'll be going back to sleep. Bonne nuit."

Erik chuckled and walked into the room, covering her in her blankets. "Ah, amour. You amuse me so." Madeleine peeked up at him, and would have stuck her tongue out at him, if she weren't so tired, and thankful that she could be sleeping.

He came over and sat on the edge of her bed, rubbing her back gently. He hummed his Music of the Night to her as she smiled, fading further and further.

When he confirmed that she was again asleep, he placed a kiss on her cheek and left her room. Sitting down at his small desk, he began to think. He thought about Madeleine and her growing talent. He thought about maybe having another celebration, due to Madeleine's success.

Sighing, he looked around the lair. He was suddenly struck with a melody, and was humming it softly to himself. He got up and sat back down at his organ, running his fingers over the keys. He played the beginning, which he had been humming, and wrote it down on a blank piece of sheet music paper. He then hovered his fingers over the keys, and let them down easily playing out continuous notes, to go along with the sweet and soft beginning at which he had imagined.

He played for hours, finishing the piece, and playing it over and over. He played it long enough that Madeleine began to stir again, and he knew she had awoken. He heard her yawn and stretch her muscles. Her feet padded over the stone as she walked about her room. He finally heard her curtain being tousled, and smiled as she padded over to him.

He closed his eyes, pretending to concentrate, even though he already had the piece memorized. She looked to the sheet music, seeing the piece he was playing. She plucked it from the other papers, and smiled. Humming along with the melody he was playing, she found it quite beautiful.

As she became familiar with it, she began dancing. Once he started the piece over again, she would dance, slowly and carefully, like a cat would walk. Stealthy, and graceful, always ready to pounce if necessary. She smiled, closing her eyes as she danced and he watched her twirl in small circles around the lair. Round and round, like a little girl.

He ended the piece again, and she stopped, noticing he wasn't playing any longer. "Something wrong?" He shook his head, still smiling. "No, no my dear. Your a very good dancer, you know." She blushed softly and sat next to him, leaning on his shoulder on the bench. "Oh, I'm not as coordinated as I'd like to be, but yes, I've had a few lessons, here and there.

She recalled back to when her uncle used to play his old records on his century old record player, dancing around the room with her, back in the more modern world.

Erik watched her face change and she smiled, as if remembering a memory. He kissed her cheek, and she looked up at him, smiling almost lazily. "Oh Madeleine, you do have such beautiful eyes." Maddy blushed again and looked down at the organ. Erik smiled, chuckling and bringing her face to face his again. "Do I flatter you?" She blushed again and he chuckled a bit louder.

Even though Maddy knew he was doing it on purpose she couldn't help but smile. "Erik! Stop!" She laughed with him and they sat in silence together, just enjoying the moment. "Madeleine?" She closed her eyes and enjoyed his voice. "Hm?"

"Have you ever considered the fact that you may have a partly French history?" She looked up at him curious. "Not really, pourquoi?" He smiled down at her. "Your name is French Madeleine. Have you ever considered that you spell your name differently than most people would?" Maddy laughed, not really sure where he was taking this. "I guess so, but Erik what does this have to do with anything."

He smiled and shook his head. "Oh, nothing nothing. Just me, a curious fool, rambling his curiosities." Maddy laughed again, hugging Erik close. "Erik?" "Yes, mon amour?" She had been thinking to ask him this question for some time. "I've never been to a masquerade. Do you know if the Opera house will be planning another sometime soon?"

Erik kissed her on the forehead gently. "Ah, I was just thinking of that my dear. I may be requesting that we have one soon, just for the sake of my Madeleine."

Maddy blushed again, but hugged him tightly around the waist, yawning softly. "My lord, Madeleine, are you ever not tired?" Maddy almost laughed a second time. "I'm not tired now. Just still a little drowsy from waking." He nodded and swayed her back and forth, for no reason. She just smiled, snuggling into his side, letting him sway her. Sometimes moments like these happened between the two a lot, and Madeleine never complained. She really did love this man. She didn't feel like she loved a stranger any longer.

Erik stood suddenly, and smiled, pulling Madeleine along. He wrapped his arm around her waist, and stood her up on his toes. She giggled, resting her hand on his shoulder, and as he hummed the same melody he had been playing, the two danced randomly, turning slow circles as Erik filled the cave with his voice. Maddy laid her head on his shoulder and they danced like this for hours, Erik humming the same melody over and over, he neither Maddy ever getting tired of it.

They danced, and they danced, and eventually Maddy might have thought they had danced through the rest of the day, through the night, through half of the next morning, but when she looked up, it had only been 4 hours.

Maddy lifted her head and kissed Erik's cheek, Erik returning it with a sweet kiss to her lips, and the two danced a bit longer, until Erik finally picked Maddy up and walked her to his bedroom. She laid her down and looked into her eyes. "Je t'aime." Maddy blinked lazily and pulled him close, granting him another kiss. "Je t'aime trop."

He covered her in his blankets and sheets, and sighed blissfully as she fell asleep once more. He hadn't meant to dance the day away with Madeleine. He had intended a few French lessons, and maybe even a sketch tip or two, but he had totally lost track of mind with her.

Yawning heavily, he fell into the bed next to her, after removing his shoes. He lay there and thought, once again. Thinking about how he was to plan out Madeleine's first masquerade, thinking about what dress to have her made, thinking about a mask to gift her.

He smiled, closing his eyes as he thought about these things. He sighed and yawned once again. He didn't want to sleep. His mind demanded that he stay up, and think. Think, think, think. No. His mind needed time to rest.

After all, he was only human, and if he was going to think through all of this tomorrow, his mind would need the sleep, the energy, the refreshing feeling that sleep would gift him in the morning.

He yawned again, and relaxed against the pillows below his head. Relaxed his whole body, and eventually, with one last sneak peak at his beautiful Madeleine, he was asleep.


	14. Unmasked

Madeleine rushed around, dressing in her room after waking in Erik's arms. She wished he had picked the night before to allow her to sleep in his room with him. She would have been able to just lie there that morning, but no. She had to get up this morning, she had rehearsals.

Sighing, and finally picking one of her darker gowns, she covered herself in her cloak, and shuffled her way lazily to the boat on the shore. "Madeleine, you look rather drained." Erik commented on her drowsy attitude. She nodded and practically fell into the boat, onto the pillows. "May I sleep until we get there?"

Erik chuckled softly and nodded. "I see no harm in a couple extra minutes." Within seconds, Maddy was asleep again on the pillows as Erik pushed them down the corridors of water. However, they seemed to reach the staircase way too quickly. Madeleine was woken by Erik's soft coos, and of course, she groaned but sat up and allowed Erik to pull her from the boat.

He carried her up the car, and stepped into the dressing room, setting her in the chair by the vanity. "Madeleine, you really don't look well. Are you sure your alright?" Maddy groaned and held her head firmly in her hands. She had a terrible head ache, and felt as if her head might split. "Erik, my head, oh my head. I feel as if it would split into two." She was breathing heavily, and Erik could tell she was in pain.

"Alright, alright. I'm going to take you home, and lay you down so you can rest." Maddy immediately started to argue. "No, Erik. I can't miss rehearsal. There's a new opera featuring in a few weeks. I need the practice." Erik shushed her gently, pressing his gloved finger over her lips. "No more of that Madeleine. Your not going to rehearsal in such a state." Madeleine sighed and saw no point in arguing. Besides, she didn't have the will power to argue further at that moment. "I'll let Giry know why your not going to be present, you just sit tight until I get back."

He slipped out the door, and into the shadows, leaving Maddy to lean over the vanity, rubbing her temples in an attempt to soothe her killer head ache.

Erik came back not but a few minutes later and carried madeleine to the boat again, laying her down and pushing them along as she slept heavily. The gate rose to let him into the lair once he got there, and he carefully lifted madeleine from the boat. He laid her down on her bed in her room, being sure that she would be comfortable.

Tucking sheets under her, he sighed and watched as she slept. Was she dreaming? What was she dreaming of? Of him? He smiled wider at the thought and stroked her cheek before dropping her curtain back over the entrance.

With Madeleine asleep, and not feeling well, he didn't have anything to do. He decided he would look further into Madeleine's masquerade. Pulling small cards of paper from a drawer in his small desk, he plucked the quill pen from black ink, and scribbled a note to the managers.

Gentlemen,

I am aware of the idea that you do not know of my divorce. Christine Daae no longer lives with me, nor does she remain present in the Opera Populaire. I am not sure of her whereabouts, and honestly do not care.

Mon amour, Madeleine, has requested that I take her to her first Bal Masqué. Therefore, I am sure you wont mind that the opera house is to hold one, in celebration of the new Prima.

I thank you gentlemen.

O.G.

He sealed the note tightly inside his envelope, and pressed his seal over the flap. Setting it aside, he sighed and stood, stretching his muscles. He heard Madeleine stir, and peeked into the curtain to check on her. He heard her talking, but she was still asleep. He listened curiously and smiled when he heard his name. Chuckling softly, he turned back, grabbing his note and cloak, and stepped into the boat.

Looking back over the lair, he pushed away, and disappeared around the corner as the gate descended behind him.

...

Madeleine sat up in her bed, pressing her palms against her head. She sighed and pushed the curtain back to her room, stepping out into the lair. Glancing into Erik's room she saw that he was gone. "Oh well, he'll be back eventually," She said to herself, padding her bare feet over to his room, laying down carefully in his bed.

She covered up in his thick blanket, shivering gently as the sheets adjusted to her body temperature. When she was finally warm enough, she felt her head ache soothe slightly. Reaching over to the little monkey on his side table, she pressed a small button on the back, and the soft melody began to play.

She listened to it and smiled as she felt herself slowly drifting off to sleep again as she wondered how long Erik would be gone.

...

When Erik did return, he was welcomed by the soft music of his music box. He wondered if Madeleine might have woken and triggered the soft melody.

He laid his cloak to the side, and peeked into her room. She was gone from the warmth of her bed and he was left even more so curious. He climbed the small amount of stairs to his room and peeked around the corner, finding her tucked carefully into his bed. He smiled and looked to the music box, which she had indeed turned on before she fell asleep again.

He had left to deliver the note to the managers, and hadn't expected her to wake while he was gone.

Sitting down carefully on the edge of the bed next to her, he saw her eyes flutter open, confirming that she hadn't yet completely fallen asleep. That or he had woken her when he came in.

"Bonjour, my dear." She smiled and yawned a bit, feeling relieved that her head ache had ceased. "Are you feeling better?" Nodding and relaxing into the pillow she was using she heard him chuckle. "Trés bon, trés bon." She smiled again looking up at his masked face.

Frowning a bit, she reached for the mask. "No, no. Please, don't Madeleine." A bit confused Maddy sat up and watched his hand as it remained firmly holding hers back from his face. "What lays behind this mask is horror." Maddy stood silent, giving him nothing but a pitiful face. "Erik...please. Trust me." She didn't want to say she already knew what lay behind it. It would only confuse him.

Erik sighed and closed his eyes, swallowing nervously as he let his grip fall from her hand. Madeleine carefully grasped underneath the mask, and pulled it off carefully. She revealed what looked the same as the man in her movie.

A twisted and distorted face that terrified anyone who saw it. There was a difference between everyone and Madeleine though. Madeleine didn't see a monster. She saw nothing but a distortion, and it was one that did not bother her. Madeleine set the mask down and touched his distorted cheek. Carefully, she leaned closer to him, and placed a soft kiss to the rolled skin of his cheek, causing him to let out a long and ragged breath as he opened his eyes.

Maddy leaned back and looked him in the eyes, seeing his sadness within. Erik expected to see the same horror on her face that he saw on everyone else, once they saw his secret. But Madeleine showed no horror, only a sad happiness that displayed on her features with truth. She wasn't scared, and she wasn't about to jump up and leave. She didn't care about the monster deformity that he was cursed with.

She had even placed a gentle kiss upon it. He then smiled, and a tear fell from his eye, rolling down the deformed half of his face. She wiped it away, and kissed him softly. He kissed her back, showing his pure relief that she simply loved him, for him.


	15. Meaningless Hours

She laid with his head, leaning on her shoulder. Erik slept soundly while Madeleine ran her fingers through his hair, his real hair, not the wig he wore everyday. She smiled, combing her fingers through it, as she placed soft kisses to his forehead every now and then. He would snore lightly here and there, and she would giggle softly so that she didn't wake him.

Seeing how she had been sick this morning, she thought it only fair that she pretend to be sick still, considering she didn't want to go to rehearsals anyways. Madeleine noticed that Erik's brown hair was very soft to the touch as she tousled and combed at it. His deformity looked rough, but was surprisingly soft to the touch as well.

Keeping quiet as she admired Erik, she thought about how truly unique he was. Not because of his deformity, but because of his genius, his ability to seem so...Godly like. Sure, that may sound a bit...old-fashioned, but it was true.

Meaningless hours passed as he napped against her skin, a content look over his features. Madeleine ran her fingertips down the structure of his jaw, and down his neck, admiring his broad and strong shoulders. She smiled as she took in how magnificent he was, and yet how oddly sensitive he could be.

She found herself humming his melody from the day before, which they had danced half the day away to. Warmly tucked under Erik's blankets still, while he was not, she wondered how he could stand being so exposed to the cold of his lair. They lived in a cave for goodness sake.

Then, she decided that he must just be used to it. From his gypsy past, he must have had to endure much worse temperatures, she was sure of that.

She softly laughed at herself then, realizing the useless hours she had spent with Erik the past few days. Doing nothing but enjoying her time with him, enjoying the love they shared. Thinking of love, she wondered if Erik missed Christine at all. Madeleine still felt horrible for splitting the two up.

The more time she spent with this marvelous man however, the more she felt Christine didn't deserve him.

Erik sighed suddenly, opening his eyes and looking up at Maddy. He smiled and stretched his legs, kissing her shoulder softly. She smiled and kissed his forehead, still playing with his hair. "Sleep well, mon amour?" She asked, pressing her forehead to his. He sighed again, and kissed her nose. "Better than in a long while."

He sat up, rubbing his face and leaving Maddy laying in the bed. She shivered a bit as his body temperature left the company of hers. Slipping out of the bed, he stretched again, his joints popping and releasing tension. Maddy cringed at the sound. "Doesn't that hurt?" He laughed and shook his head turning round. "Exactly the opposite my love."

She shook her head and stood up, stretching her arms. Holding Erik's head in the crook of one had caused it to fall asleep. She left the room and went into hers, digging through her wardrobe. She found her cloak and wrapped it around her shoulders. "Too bad you don't have a fireplace down here, you know." He laughed and hugged her close, warming her quickly. "My apologies. I figured you knew what you signed up for, moving down here with me." He winked playfully at her as she gave him a sarcastic glare.

"Yes, well. You'll get used to it, soon enough my dear." She smiled and wrapped her arms around him. "Erik?"

"Yes, my dear?" Maddy worded her question carefully. "Do you...do you miss Christine in any way at all?" She wasn't sure if the question would anger him or not. She didn't want him angry, no no. Not after the dreams she shared with him. Erik seemed more surprised than angry. "What would make you ask a question like that, Madeleine? I'm completely and totally happy with you, Christine was nothing but a phase." Maddy smiled, glad to hear what he had to offer her.

"Oh, and Erik?" He smiled. "More questions?" She blushed and shook her head. "I love you." She breathed, and placed a soft kiss on his deformed cheek, happy that he seemed comfortable without his mask around her. "I love you, too." She smiled and leaned into Erik. He sighed and he looked up at him curiously. "Something wrong?"

"No, not at all. Giry is calling." Maddy seemed confused. "How do you know?" He simply laughed. "Madeleine, remember something. Should you ever need me, just call my name. I'll be there." She stared after him as he wrapped in his robe, and covered up in his cloak. He stepped into the boat, and was gone within a few seconds.

She shook her head and looked to a vase of Erik's roses, wrapped in the black ribbons. She plucked one from the vase and sniffed it. She loved Erik's roses, they always smell so amazing.

Slipping it back into the vase, she walked around to the organ and sat down. Pressing the keys, she looked at Erik's music, reading it easily. This was the only thing he didn't know she could do. She could play the piano, and she knew that the organ wasn't terribly different. It took a minute to get used to it, but she did, and she played the melody softly.

She played through the melody a few times, and never noticed when Erik came back through the gate and quietly walked up behind her. She was so focused on the keys of the instrument, she paid no attention to anything else.

When she finished the melody again she heard him clapping and gasped, turning her head. "Mon Dieu Erik! You scared me!" He only laughed and sat next to her. "I'm sorry Madeleine, but you never told me you could play this." She blushed and turn facing the keys again. "I can play the piano...I figured it wouldn't hurt that I give the organ a try." He beamed and held her close. "I can see you can play my 'Une beauté qui est Madeleine'." Madeleine blushed deeply.

"You named it that?" He smiled and held her close. "I did, indeed." She smiled and kissed his cheek. "Merci, mon amour. I am honored. So, what did Giry need?" He pulled a small letter from his pocket, and handed it to her. She took the letter and opened it.

O.G.

We are pleased to tell you that a Bal Masqué will certainly be held in celebration of Madeleine, and hope that your expectations will soon make their way to us, through Madame Giry.

Madeleine looked to Erik, very excited. "Does this mean..?" "Yes! We will leave later to talk with Giry. I've already been thinking about your first Masquerade, and I promise my dear, it will be grand!"

Maddy hugged him tightly, nearly jumping in his arms with a squeal. "Oh Erik! Thank you! Oh, this will surely be amazing! I'm sure of it!" He smiled and she kissed him hard, as he blushed a bit with surprise. When she let him go she jumped all around like a little girl who was receiving a new play toy. He could only laugh and watch her as she continued her excited rant of energy.


	16. Nightmare

_"__Erik?" Maddy walked through the lair, looking for him. She had woken, cold and frightened from when she opened her eyes, but she didn't know why. Her breathing and heart beat had picked up pace as she frantically dressed, not understanding a thing she was feeling. Just before she was going to make her way to the boat, she ran passed his room again, just to make sure he wasn't there. _

_Stopping dead she looked into the room, tears of shock falling down her cheeks. She fell to her knees at the sight, not understanding how she had by-passed such a scene._

_Erik was laid in his bed, surrounded by his red roses, his wrists, bloody and rope-burned by the ropes that bound them to the candelabras on the cavernous wall. His eyes stared straight at her, cold and empty of emotion. The sheets of his bed were thrown everywhere, showing his struggles before he was strangled by his own lasso. One that he hadn't used in months._

_She cried and she cried, crawling over to the edge of the bed, her chest gasping for air as she sobbed._

_A feminine shadow formed behind her, one that she did not recognize, and she gasped once she turned around and saw Erik's killer._

Madeleine woke with a gasp, sitting up. She looked around breathing quickly, a pain in her ribs caused her to look down at herself. She was fine, just startled. She got up quickly from her bed, running to Erik's room. She found him there, sleeping soundly. Falling to her knees, she began weeping with relief. She sat there, her face in her hands as she wept over the terrifying nightmare she had just had.

Erik had heard her, for he was only half asleep. He sat up confused at the sound of someone weeping. "Who- Madeleine?" He jumped from the bed and went to her side on the floor immediately. "Madeleine, what on earth is wrong?" He pulled her hands from her face and picked her up, sitting her in his lap as he sat on the edge of his bed. "Madeleine, talk to me."

She took a few gasped breaths and looked up at his blurry figure through teary eyes. Stuttering through her words, she tried to speak. "You...You were dead. D-dead and gone, there, there in y-your bed." She began crying again. Erik was still confused. "Madeleine, what are you talking about? Madeleine, look at me. I am here, not dead. I am alive, quite alive. Come, now. Stop crying. You're okay, and so am I."

He sat there, rocking her carefully, wrapped up in his arms. Her crying stopped eventually and all she did was sniffle and control her breathing. "Now there, your better?" She nodded into his neck, taking another deep and calming breath.

"Good, good. Now would you mind telling me what you were rambling about, and crying over on the floor, you silly thing?" She sighed and looked up at him, feeling a bit foolish. "I had a nightmare. You were gone when I woke, and I looked all around but could not find you. I ran into your room again, just to make sure, and you were there, bound and dead. Dead, Erik. Dead!" She began softly crying again, remembering the image within her memory.

Erik began rocking her again as she finished telling him. "I turned around, and behind me...behind me. She was there! She seemed so real, so angry, so..." She choked on her tears again, coughing softly and hiding her face in Erik's neck. "I was afraid, afraid that the dream may take on that odd reality that it did with our dream, when you hit me. I was so afraid Erik." She stuttered and Erik shushed her, holding her tight.

He was indeed a bit troubled, the nightmare scaring him, even though it wasn't his. He was sure that he too would be shaken, should he have the same one, concerning Madeleine. All he could do now though, was calm her, and hope that she not have the same horrible nightmare again. "Madeleine, it's alright, I'm here with you, and alive and well. Nothing is going to hurt me, nor you. It's okay." She only nodded and held him close as he rocked her soothingly.

He reached over and triggered his monkey, letting the melody play through the lair. He hummed along with it softly, stroking Madeleine's cheek, soothing her. After a while, she finally calmed down and stopped her sobbing. She was quiet now, and Erik kissed her cheek gently. "Better?" She smiled and nodded, climbing from his lap and sighing. Wiping her eyes, she stretched her legs, which were a bit sore from huddling in Erik's arms for so long.

She didn't want to start the day with such a stir, but she couldn't help what she dreamt. Turning to Erik she sniffed and caressed both of his cheeks while he smiled and closed his eyes, enjoying the warmth of her palms on his rather chilled face.

"So, my darling," her voice was a bit soft from crying, "are we still to go to see Giry?" Erik opened his eyes and nodded. "Yes, that is if you still feel like it." Madeleine smiled gently and placed a peck to his lips. "Certainly, when will we go?" He pulled her close and hugged her gently. "As soon as your ready."

"Great! I'll go get dressed."

...

Maddy had tried not to think about the horrible nightmare while she was dressing. When she was ready, she went and found Erik, putting on his mask. He had already put his wig on, and pressed it into place. He turned to her and held out his arms, gesturing to himself. "How do I look?" She laughed and hugged him. "Quite handsome, why would you ask such a thing?" He laughed with her and kissed the top of her straight smokey hair. He placed her cloak over her shoulders for her, and she helped him with his also.

They then got into the boat on the shore of their home, and snuck under the gate that ascended for them and descended when they were through. Madeleine watched Erik as he watched ahead of them, steering the boat with the long dark pole. She watched his face and his eyes, the candle lights flickering within their deep seas of green. He looked down at her finally, and caught her staring.

"Am I that interesting?" He asked her as she blushed and looked away smiling. "Not interesting," He looked at her confused, "but beautifully genuine." He smiled and blushed a bit himself.

They reached the bottom of the stair case, and hurried up the long thing. Reaching Madame Giry's room, Erik knocked twice and she opened the door to greet them. "Ah, Bonjour my young lovers." Erik laughed and Maddy just blushed, holding onto Erik's arm. He led her inside and she marveled at all of Madame Giry's possessions. Her pictures of her when she was younger, her and Meg when Meg was young. She smiled and looked all around as Erik and Madame Giry began talking.

Maddy could hear them talking about colors, masks, a dress for herself, Erik's outfit. She smiled, and realized that she was actually to attend a Masquerade. Walking around still enjoying Madame Giry's wondrous trinkets and bobbles, an hour passed, then two, then three. Madeleine had joined their conversation, helping Erik with choices that he ended up stuck between.

They were soon saying their goodbye's after that, waving back at Madame Giry as she shut the door to her room. Erik and Maddy whispered between each other as they traveled down the dark hallways of the opera house. "That was fun, much fun." Maddy smiled, speaking to Erik. "It is isn't it? Not a lot of people think so. Most don't realize that it is fun to put colors and patterns together to make beauty, they'd rather just sit back and marvel at it once it's done. No one cares for details behind things anymore." Madeleine nodded as she listened to him talk. They snuck into Madeleines dressing room, and through her mirror.

Back in the lair now, something came to thought for Maddy. "Erik? Giry didn't say anything about me being sick..." He paused thinking about what she said. "She didn't did she? I hadn't thought about it. Maybe I should have left you here." Maddy laughed. "Why? She didn't say anything." It was Erik's turn to laugh. "Yes, well this is Giry were talking about. She may be polite to you, but she'll be after me, I'm sure." Maddy only laughed and hugged Erik close. "Erik, I don't want to sleep."

Erik was surprised by the statement. "...Come again?" "I don't want to sleep. I'm afraid to sleep Erik." He sighed and took her to her room. "Madeleine you need to sleep. I understand that the nightmare scared you but you must." She sighed and shooed him away so she could change. "Okay, you can come back." He slipped past the curtain and picked her up. "Come, you'll sleep with me tonight, and we'll see if your nightmare doesn't come back." She nodded, almost relieved that he had made the suggestion. She didn't have to ask.

Snuggling into the blankets of his blankets, Madeleine was wrapped into Erik's arms as he held her protectively and hummed the melody that he had named after her. He worried about her though, as she slept, and decided he would stay awake as long as he could, to make sure that she didn't wake from another nightmare.


End file.
